KARATINA, Kenya Jan 12 – President William Ruto on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for the Karatina Affordable Housing project, a major residential development expected to deliver 680 housing units and create hundreds of jobs in Mathira Constituency, Nyeri County.
The project will comprise five residential blocks and forms part of the government’s Affordable Housing Programme aimed at expanding access to decent, dignified housing while stimulating local economic activity.
Once completed, the estate will feature a mix of housing units, including one-room, two-room and three-room units, studio apartments, and two-bedroom and three-bedroom homes, alongside market-rate units designed to cater for different income groups.
Speaking during the launch, the President said the programme is designed to address housing needs while driving employment and local industry.
The development will include social amenities such as parking facilities, landscaped green spaces, paved walkways, sanitary waste treatment sites, an underground water tank and a secure boundary wall.
The government said the project has already created over 700 jobs for locals, both directly and indirectly, and that Jua Kali associations will be onboarded to supply doors and windows.
Ruto later handed over the completed Karatina Marigiti ESP market, a facility with capacity for more than 300 traders, featuring a social hall, ICT centre, children’s play area and a designated breastfeeding space for mothers.
Speaking during the handover, residents led by their chairman, Nelson Githinji, said the new facility will offer traders a decent working environment, shielding them from harsh weather and improving day-to-day business.
“This market will provide a decent place for traders to do their business away from the rain and scorching sun. It is a game-changer in modernising the hustle of middle-income traders,” Githinji said.
The market, which can accommodate more than 300 traders, includes a social hall, an ICT centre, a children’s play area and a designated breastfeeding space for mothers.
President Ruto said the market will serve as a major economic hub for Karatina and surrounding regions, including neighbouring Kirinyaga and Murang’a counties.
“I am here in Mathira to pay my debt. I am delighted that this ESP market is now complete and ready for occupation. This market will not only serve farmers and traders from Karatina, it is a major asset for the neighbours in Kirinyaga and Murang’a counties,” he said.
The President noted that the facility will support longer trading hours and provide storage and preservation infrastructure for fresh produce and other goods.
